Prepare to travel back to the turn of the 20th century with the prequel to the ‘The King’s Man’ franchise, depicting the origins of the eponymous spy organization. The prequel will reportedly be the first of a two-film series. A sequel to 2017’s ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ and a spinoff television series titled ‘Statesman’ are also in the pipeline for the franchise.

Here’s everything we know so far about the prequel:

Title

It was initially assumed that the prequel would be titled ‘Kingsman: The Great Game’ but, in an interview with The Playlist, director Matthew Vaughn revealed that this was just a working title.

“Next year you’re getting The Great Game. It’s wrapped. [But] it’s not actually called the ‘Great Game.’ I don’t know what it’s going to be called. That’s a working title. We wrapped last week, so we’re very excited about it. It’s incredibly different.” He told the outlet, also adding that the film would have “a very, very different tone and style.”

On June 19, Fox announced that the prequel movie would be called ‘The King’s Man’ in a tweet:

“Next year, we go back to where it all began. Meet The King’s Man, in theatres February 2020.” - @KingsmanMovie

'The King’s Man' was revealed as the title of the spin-off June 19, 2019. (Twitter)

Release Date

The movie was originally scheduled to drop on November 15, 2019, but that slot will now go to Fox’s historical drama, 'Ford v. Ferrari'. The prequel’s release was reportedly delayed due to the production being stalled. According to the revised schedule, 'The King's Man' will hit theaters on February 14, 2020.

Plot

The official tagline for ‘The King’s Man’ goes: "As a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them."

The movie will reportedly tell the story of how the organization was formed and introduce the very first Kingsman agent, played by Ralph Fiennes.

Cast

Harris Dickinson

Harris Dickinson plays the role of Conrad, who is mentored by the Duke of Oxford in 'The King's Man'. (Source: YouTube)

Dickinson ('The Darkest Minds') is an actor, writer and director living in London. According to Collider, he will play Conrad, a "cocky yet charming young hero who’s eager to serve his country and fight in World War I.” He’s expected to serve a similar role to Taron Egerton’s Eggsy in the main movies.

Ralph Fiennes

Actor Ralph Fiennes will play the role of the Duke of Oxford in 'The King's Man'. (Source: YouTube)

Fiennes (the 'Harry Potter' films) is an acclaimed actor, highly praised for his performances on both screen and stage. He is expected to play a mentor figure to Dickinson’s Conrad. The actor is no stranger to spy movies, having played the role of M in the ‘Bond’ movies starting with 2012’s ‘Skyfall’.

According to Deadline, the leading duo will be joined by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’), Gemma Arterton ('Quantum of Solace'), Rhys Ifans ('The Amazing Spider-Man'), Matthew Goode ('A Discovery of Witches'), Charles Dance ('Game of Thrones'), Stanley Tucci ('Captain America: The First Avenger'), Daniel Bruhl ('The Alienist'), Tom Hollander ('Bohemian Rhapsody'), Robert Aramayo ('Game of Thrones') and Djimon Hounsou ('Shazam!'). It was rumoured that Liam Neeson would also play a part in the movie but those claims were shot down by the director.

Creator

Matthew Vaughn

Producer Matthew Vaughn attends The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences official screening of "Rocketman" at the MoMA, Celeste Bartos Theater on May 29, 2019, in New York City. (Getty Images)

The ‘Kingsman’ series was adapted from the original Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar comic book by the English film producer and director. Vaughn has made a name for himself producing movies like ‘Snatch’ and ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ and directing hit films like ‘Kick-Ass’ and ‘Stardust’. He was also the director behind ‘X-Men: First Class’.

Trailer

The trailer of 'The King's Man' was released July 15 and it looks impressive. It starts with a voiceover: "Throughout time, our people robbed, lied and killed; until one day, we found ourselves, noblemen." And then, a montage of scenes unravel as the voiceover continues, "But that nobility never came from chivalry. It came from being tough. And ruthless. Real power, is not found from running after war. Real power lies in understanding, who it is you are truly fighting, and how they can be defeated."

This entire narration by Ralph Fiennes' character is important because this is the crux of the prequel. This is the root of Kingsman and by taking us back to their origin, set at the same time as World War I, which began in 1914, we learn what their true intentions were and how they sought it. Not through war, but by understanding who they stand opposite to. With sharp visuals and a stunning background score, the trailer sets the tone for the movie, set to release in 2020.

A second trailer for the movie was released on September 29 and it brings in a surprisingly anti-establishment angle to the agency's origins. The trailer reveals that in the film, WWI is being orchestrated by a secret cabal of tyrants and despots. The governments of the world are either unable or unwilling to tackle this threat at its source, even as thousands lay down their lives every day.

While the other films in the series have usually shown the Kingsman organization working alongside government forces, it looks like the prequel will see them going directly against the establishment in an effort to bring the war to an end. The trailer reveals a lot more exciting battlefield sequences and the music in the preview, 'War Pigs' by Black Sabbath, will definitely get you hyped up for the film even if nothing else will.

If you like this movie, you’ll also love these:

‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’

‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’

‘Kick-Ass’

‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E’

‘Spectre’

If you have an entertainment scoop or a story for us, please reach out to us on (323) 421-7515

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MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. We are one of the world’s fastest growing
media-tech companies with hubs around the world. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of
reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader.